Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (a coalition of militant groups led by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda), Faylaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham and some small units from other militant factions launched the second attempt to break the siege of Qabun in eastern Damascus.

Map of the Qabun industrial area. Click to see the full-size image

The joint militant forces attacked goverment positions at the Qabun industrial area from the direction of Jobar. They engaged government troops at a bus station pushing in the direction of the Abbasiyn Garage and entered the Fabric Factory.

The militants goal is to break the Qabun pocket and to link up the area with the militant-held area of the Eastern Ghouta.

In a way this is good, just like the major Jihadi offensives to break the East Aleppo siege were last year. They’re expending a lot of finite resources and manpower, and who knows, it might even gain them some short term breakthroughs. But what they lose they cannot replace and when the net closes again they will be in a much worse position for it.

Trustin Judeau

This is different .The rebels in Aleppo hold 60 percent of the city.In Damascus they hold 3 districts . Even if they connect with Qaboun it will be for 1.2 days

Thegr8rambino

Let’s hope so

El Diablo

SAA have a very strange geografical position and is difficoult to said what they must do first. Attack Raqqa – Clear the rebel pockets – Free Deir Ezzor (trough Kurdish territory)- reseize the central syria. Idlib and south syria maybe aren’t a priority. Turkish will be quite sure the latest to be kick-offed by syria

Wahid Algiers

Remember the situation only one year before and compare. At the present all is better and SAA and allies have much more options.